How to know if God is talking to you.

How can we know if God is talking to us? Can we rely on a voice in our head being the Holy Spirit, guiding and directing us? Often I have read or heard, someone saying God spoke to them. At times, TV evangelist appear to get a message from God, concerning money or financial advice. They are given a specific dollar amount to collect, that will create some miraculous breakthrough in peoples lives. Pastor and ministries can lead followers down all manner of dead ends, and into many false teachings, by proclaiming they have received a word from God. God is not a distant Father, he delights in talking to his children. I often thought prayer was a very one sided conversation. I spoke to God, and in turn was answered by a room full of silence. This is not the case. If we have been blessed to have earthly fathers who we are close with, and had many personal conversations with, this is how God wants us to talk with him, and how he wants to talk with us. If our earthly father or mother, or grandparent is no longer with us, we might reflect on many of the conversations we had with them, recalling many of the words we said to them, and what they in return spoke to us. God is not at this time with us, in a physical sense. John 4.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God is a spirit. He has for now given us his Holy Word, to speak to us in great detail. Through it he can speak to us on almost any topic we could possibly imagine.

John 6: 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Back to the question of knowing if a voice in our head is from God, Jesus had this to say.

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus said if you continue in my word, you shall know the truth. We will know if a thought or voice is truth from God, if it conforms with his word. The more God’s word dwells inside of us, the better we will come to know our Heavenly Father, and our older brother Jesus. What might a conversation with God sound like?

Father I’m worried about work. They told us today their will be layoffs announced next week, what if I am one of them?

John 14: 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I know, but we just bought this new house, and now this!

Philippians 4: 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Well that’s what I am doing, but can you give me a sign, will I be laid off?

Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So your saying, even if i am laid off, you can make it work out OK?

2 Corinthians 1: 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

But what about in the mean time? I mean food and gas prices are both going up, and Timmy is going to need new clothes for school.

Mathew 6: 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Well I know you are right, thanks Dad for reassuring me. One more thing though, tomorrow I have to give a presentation to the board, and I’m worried I might not do well.

Mathew 6: 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Thanks again Dad, I am going to try and relax and trust that your in control.

Jeremiah 17: 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

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8 Comments

This was what I needed. I was trying to talk to God earlier this morning inside my head. I could really relate to the person who is worried a bit that things might not go as smooth as it ought to be – mainly because of bad choices, and ignorance…. is it OK to trust God that way? 🙂 You have a very nice blog. And thank you so much for liking my post “Help Me Smile”.

Help me with my faith! i have a tendency to be really obsessed with grades and studying is a way of forgetting the love of Christ for me. God knows that, and i had thought that He was telling me to let go of my obsession and to depend on Him only. From then on, i could literally feel my faith growing stronger and stronger, and once, when i mentally gave all my interests over to be under His control, i became so upset and i cried out for God to make me happy, please, i’ve given it over to you, fill me with Your joy. In a while He told me that i’m going to be best in school on the next very very important pre-test. I could hardly believe it, and i asked again and again if it really is true that The Lord is the one speaking, and not myself….i had thought that He said yes. At first, i thought He meant that i am to study hard as usual, and that He would help me get the scores needed. But He kept on telling me to translate the book ‘not a fan’ into my native language(I’m from South Korea.), which i wasn’t really into. He had made it known to me that the original translated version was too thick in words and therefore failed to change as many hearts as it could have, and so i must translate well in order to let the readers of my country feel the real intentions of the author. As for me, I do speak better english than most of the kids in school, but i’m not that into translating. But since God is the One who told me to do that, I did it, although all the other people (including my parents and teachers) thought i was crazy for doing something else than studying for the biggest exam one goes through in our country. I had difficulty concentrating, yes, because i was used to studying always, and others thought well of it,..but i read the bible and prayed whenever my faith was wavering. And everytime Jesus used to tell me-don’t worry,, “Why would I break a promise I’ve made with my child?”.This went on for about two months, and at last today i took the pre-test (The real test is taken in about 5 more months. though this is just practice, it is considered very important, and it is said that everybody tends to get a lower score than one gets on this pre-test.).I was nervous, but since The Lord told me, even when i was taking the test, not to worry, not to worry, I keep promises. Though i couldn’t solve much of the problems, i just marked in any answer, i figured, perhaps,, after all, my boss is God, ..perhaps everything i’ve written turns out to be the answer! How stupid i was. i got most of them wrong, due to my lack of studying the past months. i’m pretty sure if i go back into the study mode i had gone into before i’ve known the Lord, i could get the grade i need in the real test. But i don’t know i’ll be able to ignore His presence now that i’ve felt it so strong for the last two months, which, after all, turns out to be fake. I am now so very confused. Everybody my age here in Korea has to cling onto the desk and study and study and only study. I had thougt it was nice, i thought it was something that i ought todo, and i was determined to do it better than anybody else….when the Lord came into my life. He turned it upside down, and disappeared! I am frustrated upon words, if i had studied the last few weeks, my score would be in such a greater state! I too, see that I’m still obsessed over the score thing, but is the voice in my head that claims to be the Lord, that has taught me so much about the Word and life, ….could that voice be trusted to be the Lord’s voice? If that is not the case, i should really get going. I will have to try and forget what i learned, i thought my Lord said that He was going to give me joy in studying, or in anyway free me from this pressing society of south korea’s teaching. Was i wrong? Was the Voice in my head, just, a voice in my head? Was it nothing? How am i to go on, without Him leading me? Why has He betrayed me? Why has He betrayed me? I was ready to give my life to Him. Actually i was only going to look at my score as a method of watching God touch something real in my life, not something that goes in my mind, my thoughts, wisdom of life. I was going to sit in the background and be in awe of His power over me, and give praise! After all, i wasn’t the one who asked for a promise? It was Him! of course he would keep the promise! it was His idea from the first place! but He didn’t! Why hadn’t He? was everything just a fake???????

If you’ve read till here, thank you for reading, really thank you.
i’m just so confused and frustrated, so much for complete trust!!! I feel so betrayed.
I wish you could help me,
will you please pray for me??

Thank you for your response to my article. Please do not get frustrated or loose faith in God and Jesus. You write such wonderful English, it is so difficult for me to believe it is not your first language. I only know one language, and struggle with it more then you, I will bet. I do not know a lot about Korean culture, but I have read that good grades and study is valued much more in your country, then here in the United States. We have been very blessed with our place in the world, and many people here take much for granted. We all, at times, have voices in our heads telling us to do one thing or another. As I wrote in my article, I believe God talks to us through his word, the Holy Bible. It does not answer every question we come across in life, so we sometimes look for other answers. I think you may be at a time in your life where your educational studies are very important, study hard, because this time in your life will be over quickly, and you cannot go back. Also try and spend time with God’s word every day. As you do, you will see that the time will pass when studying for exams is over, and you will replace this time, with studying God’s word. The good study habits you are developing now, will be a great benefit in your study of God’s word in the future.
I think you are searching for God perhaps, with your senses, and not with your heart. You are looking for an external sign from Him. Remember we walk by faith not by sight. And God is a spirit, and must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. God’s word is both spirit and truth. Jesus has promised never to leave or forsake you. Study scriptures that emphasize how much God loves you, and you will begin to calm down, and rest in his love. I will pray for you my friend. Please feel free to write back, and tell me how you are doing. God bless you, remember he already has in so many ways !

This is a very helpful message which reminds me of a verse from the Bible. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” (NIV)